Medium transport device and recording device

Abstract

To provide a medium transport device and a recording device that can improve the accuracy of medium transportation.SOLUTION: The medium transport device includes a separation part 40 that separates and transports multiple media 19 and at least one first guiding member 43 that guides the media 19 to the separation part 40. The separation part 40 has a transport roller 41 that can nip the media 19 in a nip range NR and a separation roller 42. The transport roller 41 contacts a first surface 19a of the media 19 and transports the media 19 in a transport direction Dc. The separation roller 42 can be switched between a separation state in which the separation roller 42 contacts a second surface 19b of the media 19 opposite the first surface 19a and separates the multiple media 19 and a transport state in which the separated media 19 are transported. A tip 43b of the first guiding member 43 that guides the media 19 is positioned so that it does not overlap with the separation part 40 when viewed from the transport direction Dc and overlaps with the nip range NR when viewed from an axial direction Da of the separation roller 42.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a medium transport device and a recording device. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, there is an image forming apparatus that is an example of a recording apparatus that forms an image on a sheet that is an example of a medium, as described in Patent Document 1. The image forming apparatus includes a guide sheet, a feed roller that is an example of a transport roller, and a retard roller that is an example of a separation roller.

[0003] The guide sheet guides the leading edge of the sheet to prevent the leading edge of the sheet from bending. The feed roller and the retard roller sandwich the medium in a nip portion, which is an example of a nip range, to separate and transport multiple sheets one by one. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-45242 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The guide sheet of Patent Document 1 can improve the sheet guiding accuracy by being provided in a position close to the nip portion. However, the guide sheet of Patent Document 1 is provided in a position overlapping the retard roller when viewed from the conveying direction. Therefore, if the guide sheet is brought close to the nip portion, there is a risk that the leading edge of the guide sheet will be caught in the nip portion, causing sheet conveyance problems. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A media transport device that solves the above problem comprises a separation section that separates and transports multiple media, and at least one first guide member that guides the media to the separation section, wherein the separation section has a transport roller and a separation roller that can nip the media in a nip range, wherein the transport roller contacts a first side of the media and transports the media in a transport direction, and the separation roller contacts a second side of the media opposite the first side, and is switchable between a separation state in which the multiple media are separated and a transport state in which the separated media are transported, and the tip of the first guide member that guides the media is located in a position that does not overlap the separation section when viewed from the transport direction, and overlaps with the nip range when viewed from the axial direction of the separation roller.

[0007] A recording device that solves the above problem includes a medium transport device having the above configuration, and a recording section that records on the medium. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a recording apparatus. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a medium transport device included in the recording apparatus. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a medium transport device included in the recording apparatus. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] [Embodiment] An embodiment of a medium conveying device and a recording device will be described below with reference to the drawings. The recording device of this embodiment is, for example, an inkjet printer that prints by ejecting ink, which is an example of a liquid, onto a medium such as paper. In the drawings, the recording device 11 is placed on a horizontal plane, the direction of gravity is indicated by the Z axis, and the directions along the horizontal plane are indicated by the X axis and the Y axis. The X axis, the Y axis, and the Z axis are mutually perpendicular.

[0010] <Recording device> As shown in FIG. 1, the recording device 11 may include a housing 12, a stacker 13, a recording unit 14, a control unit 15, a cassette 16, and a medium transport device 17.

[0011] The housing 12 accommodates various components of the recording device 11 . The stacker 13 receives the medium 19 transported by the medium transport device 17. The stacker 13 is capable of loading a plurality of recorded media 19. In this embodiment, two media 19 that are transported consecutively among the plurality of media 19 are also referred to as the first medium 19f and the second medium 19s. The first medium 19f is the medium 19 that is transported first. The second medium 19s is the medium 19 that is transported next to the first medium 19f. In the following description, when the first medium 19f and the second medium 19s are not distinguished from each other, they are also simply referred to as the media 19.

[0012] The recording unit 14 may have a nozzle surface 21. A plurality of nozzles 22 are opened in the nozzle surface 21. The recording unit 14 may be provided such that the nozzle surface 21 is inclined with respect to a horizontal plane. The recording unit 14 performs recording on the transported medium 19 by ejecting liquid from the nozzles 22. The recording unit 14 of this embodiment is a line head that performs recording on the transported medium 19 in a stationary state.

[0013] The control unit 15 comprehensively controls the driving of each mechanism in the recording device 11 and controls various operations executed by the recording device 11 . The control unit 15 may be configured as a circuit including: α: one or more processors that execute various processes according to a computer program; β: one or more dedicated hardware circuits that execute at least some of the various processes; or γ: a combination thereof. The hardware circuit is, for example, an application specific integrated circuit. The processor includes a CPU and memory such as RAM and ROM, and the memory stores program code or instructions configured to cause the CPU to execute processes. The memory, i.e., computer readable medium, includes any readable medium that can be accessed by a general-purpose or dedicated computer.

[0014] The recording device 11 may include a plurality of cassettes 16. The cassettes 16 may have a hopper 24. The cassettes 16 can be inserted into and removed from the device. The cassettes 16 may be capable of housing a plurality of media 19 in a stacked state. The hopper 24 pushes up the stacked media 19. When placed in the cassette 16, the first medium 19f is located above the second medium 19s. "Placed" refers to a state in which one is placed on top of the other and can be moved by applying an external force.

[0015] <Medium transport device> The medium transport device 17 transports the medium 19 placed in the inserted cassette 16. The medium transport device 17 includes a feeding mechanism 26. The medium transport device 17 may include the same number of feeding mechanisms 26 as the number of cassettes 16. The medium transport device 17 may include one or more roller pairs 28, a transport belt 29, and a pair of pulleys 30.

[0016] The roller pair 28 includes a roller that contacts the first surface 19a of the medium 19 and a roller that contacts the second surface 19b of the medium 19. The second surface 19b is the surface opposite to the first surface 19a. One of the two rollers may be a roller that is driven to rotate, and the other may be a roller that is driven to rotate.

[0017] 1, a transport path 32 along which the medium 19 is transported and a reversing path 33 are indicated by dashed dotted lines. The transport path 32 connects the cassette 16 and the stacker 13. The reversing path 33 connects the transport path 32 downstream of the recording unit 14 with the transport path 32 upstream of the recording unit 14. The reversing path 33 is a path for returning the medium 19, which has been recorded on one side, to the upstream side of the recording unit 14 when recording on both sides of the medium 19. The medium transport device 17 may include a flap 34 for switching the path along which the medium 19 is transported.

[0018] The medium transport device 17 may include a plurality of roller pairs 28. The plurality of roller pairs 28 may be provided on the transport path 32 and the reversing path 33. The roller pairs 28 rotate with the medium 19 sandwiched between them to transport the medium 19 along the transport path 32 or the reversing path 33.

[0019] The conveyor belt 29 is a circular belt. The conveyor belt 29 is stretched around a pair of pulleys 30. The conveyor belt 29 revolves around the pair of pulleys 30 as one of the pulleys 30 rotates. The conveyor belt 29 has a conveying surface 36 that conveys the medium 19. The conveying surface 36 is a flat surface of the outer circumferential surface of the conveyor belt 29 that supports the medium 19 by, for example, electrostatic adsorption. The conveyor belt 29 may be provided so that the conveying surface 36 is parallel to the nozzle surface 21. The conveyor belt 29 supports a portion of the medium 19 that is to be recorded by the recording unit 14. The conveyor belt 29 revolves while supporting the medium 19, thereby conveying the medium 19 in a conveying direction Dc. The conveying direction Dc is a direction along the conveying path 32, and is a direction from the cassette 16 toward the stacker 13.

[0020] The feeding mechanism 26 feeds the media 19 contained in the corresponding cassette 16 from the cassette 16. The feeding means sending out the media 19 stacked in the cassette 16 one by one. The feeding mechanism 26 may include a moving mechanism 38, a feeding roller 39, and a separation unit 40.

[0021] The moving mechanism 38 moves the feed roller 39. The moving mechanism 38 may include, for example, a solenoid, a cam, and an air cylinder. The moving mechanism 38 displaces the feed roller 39 between a contact position shown in FIG. 1 and a separated position (not shown). The contact position is a position where the feed roller 39 contacts the first surface 19a of the medium 19. The feed roller 39 located at the contact position sandwiches the medium 19 between the hopper 24. The first surface 19a of the loaded medium 19 may be the upper surface of the medium 19. The feed roller 39 contacts the medium 19 from above. The separated position is a position where the feed roller 39 is separated from the medium 19.

[0022] The feed roller 39 contacts the first surface 19a of the placed medium 19 to transport the medium 19. The feed roller 39 rotates at the contact position to transport the medium 19 to the separation unit 40. The feed roller 39 is provided upstream of the separation unit 40 in the transport direction Dc.

[0023] 2, the separation unit 40 includes a transport roller 41 and a separation roller 42. The medium transport device 17 includes at least one first guide member 43. The medium transport device 17 may include a second guide member 44, a drive source 45, a torque limiter 46, and a rotation shaft 48.

[0024] The transport roller 41 and the separation roller 42 can nip the medium 19 in a nip range NR. Nipping means sandwiching the medium 19 in the thickness direction. The nip range NR is the range where the transport roller 41 and the separation roller 42 come into contact with each other when there is no medium 19 between the transport roller 41 and the separation roller 42. The transport roller 41 and the separation roller 42 may be elastic, for example, a rubber roller. When at least one of the transport roller 41 and the separation roller 42 is deformable, the nip range NR has a length in the transport direction Dc.

[0025] 2 and 3, the transport roller 41 contacts the first surface 19a of the medium 19 to transport the medium 19 in the transport direction Dc. The transport roller 41 transports the medium 19 by rotating while nipping the medium 19 between the transport roller 41 and the separation roller 42.

[0026] The separation roller 42 contacts the second surface 19b of the medium 19. The separation roller 42 can rotate in a forward rotation direction R1 and a reverse rotation direction R2 about a rotation shaft 48. The forward rotation direction R1 is a direction in which the first medium 19f is fed in the transport direction Dc. The reverse rotation direction R2 is the direction opposite to the forward rotation direction R1. The separation roller 42 is not fixed to the rotation shaft 48. Therefore, the separation roller 42 can rotate in a sliding manner relative to the rotation shaft 48.

[0027] The driving source 45 rotates the separation roller 42 in the reverse rotation direction R2. Specifically, the driving source 45 rotates the rotation shaft 48 in the reverse rotation direction R2. However, when the separation roller 42 is in contact with the rotating transport roller 41, the separation roller 42 rotates in the forward rotation direction R1 following the transport roller 41.

[0028] The torque limiter 46 switches the transmission of the driving force to the separation roller 42. When the rotation directions of the separation roller 42 and the rotating shaft 48 are different, the torque limiter 46 may apply a rotational load to the separation roller 42. That is, when the rotating shaft 48 rotates in the reverse rotation direction R2 and the separation roller 42 rotates in the forward rotation direction R1, the torque limiter 46 may apply a rotational load to the separation roller 42. When the rotation directions of the separation roller 42 and the rotating shaft 48 are the same, the torque limiter 46 may not apply a rotational load to the separation roller 42. That is, when the rotating shaft 48 and the separation roller 42 rotate in the reverse rotation direction R2, the torque limiter 46 may not apply a rotational load to the separation roller 42.

[0029] The separation roller 42 can be switched between a separation state in which the separation roller 42 separates the multiple media 19 and a transport state in which the separated media 19 are transported. In the separation state, the separation roller 42 rotates in the reverse rotation direction R2. In the transport state, the separation roller 42 rotates in the forward rotation direction R1. A rotational load is applied to the separation roller 42 in the transport state by the torque limiter 46.

[0030] 2, when separation unit 40 does not nip medium 19, the force of transport roller 41 attempting to rotate separation roller 42 in forward rotation direction R1 is greater than the rotational load of torque limiter 46. Therefore, separation roller 42 rotates in forward rotation direction R1 following transport roller 41. In other words, before medium 19 is transported to separation unit 40, separation roller 42 is in a transport state.

[0031] 3, when separation unit 40 nips one sheet of medium 19, the force of medium 19 transported by transport roller 41 attempting to rotate separation roller 42 in forward rotation direction R1 is greater than the rotational load of torque limiter 46. Therefore, separation roller 42 rotates in forward rotation direction R1 following the medium 19 sent in transport direction Dc. In other words, when separation unit 40 transports one sheet of medium 19, separation roller 42 is in a transport state.

[0032] When the separation unit 40 nips a plurality of media 19, the force of the transport roller 41 and the medium 19 to rotate the separation roller 42 in the forward rotation direction R1 is smaller than when the separation unit 40 does not nip the medium 19 or when the separation unit 40 nips one medium 19. Specifically, the force of the transport roller 41 and the medium 19 to rotate the separation roller 42 in the forward rotation direction R1 is smaller than the rotation load of the torque limiter 46. Therefore, the separation roller 42 rotates in the reverse rotation direction R2 due to the rotation load received from the torque limiter 46. That is, when the separation unit 40 nips a plurality of media 19, the separation roller 42 is in a separated state. When the separation unit 40 nips a plurality of media 19, the separation roller 42 pushes back the second and subsequent media 19. Specifically, when the separation unit 40 nips the first medium 19f and the second medium 19s, the separation roller 42 pushes back the second medium 19s. The separation roller 42 separates the first medium 19f from the second medium 19s. The separation unit 40 separates the multiple media 19 and transports them.

[0033] 2 and 3, the first guide member 43 guides the medium 19 to the separation section 40. When the feeding mechanism 26 includes multiple first guide members 43, the multiple first guide members 43 may be provided on both sides of the separation section 40 in the axial direction Da. The axial direction Da is the direction in which the rotation shaft 48, which is the axis of the separation roller 42, extends, and may be parallel to the Y axis.

[0034] The first guide member 43 is displaceable between a first position shown in FIG. 2 and a second position shown in FIG. 3. The first guide member 43 may be made of a resin such as polyester. The first guide member 43 may be flexible. The first guide member 43 may have a tip 43b that is displaced relative to a fixed base end 43a. The first guide member 43 may be deformed by contact with the medium 19 being conveyed and displaced to the second position. The degree of deformation of the first guide member 43 may change according to the thickness, weight, rigidity, and the like of the medium 19. The first guide member 43 displaced to the second position may return to the first position due to its elasticity when the medium 19 passes through.

[0035] 2, the first position of the first guide member 43 is a position when the first guide member 43 is not guiding the medium 19. The first guide member 43 located at the first position intersects with the transport path 32 upstream of the nip range NR in the transport direction Dc. The position where the first guide member 43 located at the first position intersects with the transport path 32 may be outside the separation roller 42 in the radial direction of the rotation shaft 48.

[0036] The base end 43a of the first guiding member 43 may be located below the conveying path 32. The base end 43a may be located upstream of the nip range NR in the conveying direction Dc. The first guiding member 43 located at the first position may have a tip end 43b located above the conveying path 32. The first guiding member 43 may be provided obliquely with respect to the conveying path 32 so that the tip end 43b is located downstream of the base end 43a in the conveying direction Dc.

[0037] 3, the second position of the first guide member 43 is a position when guiding the medium 19. The first guide member 43 contacts the second surface 19b of the medium 19. The first guide member 43 located at the second position may be located below the transport path 32. The tip 43b of the first guide member 43 that guides the medium 19 is located at a position that does not overlap with the separation section 40 when viewed from the transport direction Dc. In other words, the tip 43b of the first guide member 43 located at the second position is located at a position that does not overlap with the transport roller 41 and the separation roller 42 when viewed from the transport direction Dc.

[0038] The first guide member 43 and the separation roller 42 may be arranged side by side in the axial direction Da. A tip 43b of the first guide member 43 that guides the medium 19 is located at a position that overlaps with the nip range NR when viewed from the axial direction Da of the separation roller 42. The tip 43b of the first guide member 43 that is located at the second position contacts the medium 19 in the nip range NR.

[0039] The second guide member 44 is provided between the feed roller 39 and the transport roller 41 in the transport direction Dc. The second guide member 44 may be provided at a position overlapping with the separation unit 40 when viewed from the transport direction Dc. At least a part of the second guide member 44 may be provided at the same position as at least one of the transport roller 41 and the separation roller 42 in the axial direction Da.

[0040] 3, in this embodiment, a line connecting the rotation center point of the feed roller 39 and the rotation center point of the transport roller 41 is referred to as a first virtual line segment L1. The first virtual line segment L1 is perpendicular to the axis of the feed roller 39 and the axis of the transport roller 41. In this embodiment, a line connecting a contact point CP where the feed roller 39 contacts the medium 19 and the nip range NR is referred to as a second virtual line segment L2. The second virtual line segment L2 may be a line along the transport path 32. In this embodiment, a line perpendicular to the midpoint MP of the first virtual line segment L1 is referred to as a virtual perpendicular line L3.

[0041] The second guide member 44 may be provided between the first imaginary line segment L1 and the second imaginary line segment L2. The second guide member 44 may face the hopper 24 without the medium 19 therebetween. The second guide member 44 may be provided to intersect with the imaginary perpendicular line L3. The second guide member 44 contacts the first surface 19a of the medium 19 to guide the medium 19.

[0042] <Operation of the embodiment> The operation of this embodiment will be described. 2, when separation unit 40 does not nip medium 19, separation roller 42 rotates in forward rotation direction R1 following transport roller 41. When separation roller 42 rotates in forward rotation direction R1, even if the leading edge of medium 19 hits separation roller 42, medium 19 is guided into nip range NR by rotating separation roller 42.

[0043] However, for example, if the separation roller 42 becomes worn, the separation roller 42 may become slippery relative to the transport roller 41. Specifically, even when the separation unit 40 does not nip the medium 19, the separation roller 42 may rotate in the reverse rotation direction R2. Since the separation roller 42 rotating in the reverse rotation direction R2 repels the medium 19 that it hits, there is a risk that the separation unit 40 will not be able to nip the medium 19.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 3, in this embodiment, the first guide member 43 guides the medium 19 to the nip range NR. For example, when the medium 19 is weak, the separation roller 42 rotating in the reverse rotation direction R2 may not be able to nip the medium 19 even if the medium 19 is guided to the nip range NR. However, the second guide member 44 presses the bent medium 19 to push the medium 19 into the nip range NR. Therefore, the medium 19 is inserted into the nip range NR even when the separation roller 42 is rotating in the reverse rotation direction R2. When the separation unit 40 nips the medium 19, the separation roller 42 rotates in the forward rotation direction R1 following the medium 19 being transported.

[0045] <Effects of the embodiment> The effects of this embodiment will be described. (1-1) The tip 43b of the first guiding member 43 that guides the medium 19 is located in a position that does not overlap the separation section 40 when viewed from the transport direction Dc, and overlaps with the nip range NR when viewed from the axial direction Da. Therefore, the medium 19 guided by the first guiding member 43 can reach the nip range NR with its tip still guided by the first guiding member 43. This makes it easier to feed the medium 19 into the nip range NR, thereby improving the transport accuracy of the medium 19.

[0046] (1-2) The first guide member 43 is displaceable. For example, by displacing the first guide member 43 depending on the weight of the medium 19 to be guided, it is possible to easily guide the medium 19 into the nip range NR even when the type of the medium 19 is different.

[0047] (1-3) For example, in the case of a rigid first guide member 43, a spring or the like is required to displace the first guide member 43. In this regard, the first guide member 43 is flexible and can be displaced between the first position and the second position by bending. This allows the configuration to be simplified.

[0048] (1-4) The first guide member 43 and the separation roller 42 contact the second surface 19b. Therefore, compared to when the first guide member 43 contacts the first surface 19a, the risk that the leading edge 43b of the medium 19 will hit the separation roller 42 can be reduced.

[0049] (1-5) The multiple first guiding members 43 are provided on both sides of the separation unit 40 in the axial direction Da. Therefore, it is easier to guide the medium 19 into the nip range NR compared to when the first guiding members 43 are provided on one side.

[0050] (1-6) The method in which the drive source 45 rotates the separation roller 42 is also called the active retard method. In the case of the active retard method, for example, if the separation roller 42 wears and the coefficient of friction decreases, the separation roller 42 may slip against the transport roller 41 and rotate in the reverse rotation direction R2. If the medium 19 hits the separation roller 42 rotating in the reverse rotation direction R2, the medium 19 cannot reach the nip range NR and transport failure occurs. In this regard, since the first guide member 43 guides the medium 19 to the nip range NR, the medium 19 can be sent into the nip range NR even when the separation roller 42 is rotating in the reverse rotation direction R2, and the life of the separation roller 42 can be extended.

[0051] (1-7) The medium 19 receives a force from the feed roller 39 in the transport direction Dc, and also receives a force from the separation roller 42 in the direction opposite to the transport direction Dc. As a result, the medium 19 may be deformed between the feed roller 39 and the separation unit 40. In this regard, the second guide member 44 contacts the first surface 19a of the medium 19 between the feed roller 39 and the transport roller 41. In other words, the second guide member 44 suppresses deformation of the medium 19, making it easier to feed the medium 19 into the nip range NR.

[0052] (1-8) The medium 19 is likely to deform significantly at the position where it intersects with the imaginary perpendicular line L3. In this regard, the second guide member 44 intersects with the imaginary perpendicular line L3, and therefore can efficiently hold down the portion of the medium 19 that is likely to deform.

[0053] (1-9) The second guide member 44 is provided at a position overlapping with the separation unit 40 when viewed from the transport direction Dc. Therefore, even if the width of the medium 19 is small, for example, the second guide member 44 can suppress deformation of the medium 19.

[0054] (1-10) The second guide member 44 is provided between the first imaginary line segment L1 and the second imaginary line segment L2. That is, the second guide member 44 is provided at a position closer to the transported medium 19 than the first imaginary line segment L1, and therefore deformation of the medium 19 can be efficiently suppressed.

[0055] (1-11) The medium 19 is placed in the cassette 16. The cassette 16 can be inserted into and removed from the device, so that the medium 19 can be easily set in the cassette 16. (1-12) For example, if the second guiding member 44 comes into contact with the transported medium 19 at a position away from the nip range NR in the axial direction Da, the medium 19 may tilt. In this regard, the second guiding member 44 is provided at a position overlapping with the separation section 40 when viewed from the transport direction Dc. This makes it possible to prevent the medium 19 from tilting.

[0056] [Example of change] This embodiment can be modified as follows: This embodiment and the following modifications can be combined with each other to the extent that there is no technical contradiction.

[0057] The second guide member 44 may be flexible. The second guide member 44 may be made of a resin such as polyester, similar to the first guide member 43. By making the second guide member 44 out of a material with a small coefficient of friction, the medium 19 can slide easily relative to the second guide member 44.

[0058] At least a portion of the second guide member 44 may be located at a position outside the gap between the first imaginary line segment L1 and the second imaginary line segment L2. The second guide member 44 may be provided at a position that does not overlap with the separation section 40 when viewed from the conveying direction Dc.

[0059] The feeding mechanism 26 may include a plurality of second guide members 44. The plurality of second guide members 44 may be provided at positions shifted in the axial direction Da. The plurality of second guide members 44 may be provided at positions shifted in the conveying direction Dc. At least one of the plurality of second guide members 44 may be provided at a position different from the separation unit 40 in the axial direction Da, or at least one may be provided at the same position as the separation unit 40.

[0060] The second guide member 44 may be provided at a position that does not intersect with the imaginary perpendicular line L3. The medium transport device 17 may not include the torque limiter 46. For example, the medium transport device 17 may switch the transmission of the driving force to the separation roller 42 by, for example, a clutch.

[0061] The medium transport device 17 may include one first guide member 43 . The first guide members 43 in the above embodiment may be configured as one member whose base ends 43a are connected to each other.

[0062] At least one of the multiple feeding mechanisms 26 may include a first guide member 43. At least one of the multiple feeding mechanisms 26 may include a second guide member 44.

[0063] The first surface 19a of the medium 19 may be the bottom surface of the medium 19 when it is loaded in the cassette 16. The feed roller 39 may contact the medium 19 from below. The transport roller 41 may be located below the transport path 32. The separation roller 42 and the first guide member 43 may be located above the transport path 32 and the transport roller 41. In other words, the transport roller 41, the separation roller 42, and the first guide member 43 may be arranged upside down from the arrangement in the embodiment. In this case, the second guide member 44 may be located below the transport path 32.

[0064] The first guide member 43 may be rigid. The first guide member 43 may be a flap that is displaceable between a first position and a second position. The medium conveying device 17 may have a cam mechanism that displaces the first guide member 43 between the first position and the second position.

[0065] The first guide member 43 does not have to be displaceable. For example, the first guide member 43 may be fixed in the second position. The first guide member 43 may be provided so as to come into contact with the first surface 19 a of the medium 19 .

[0066] The medium transport device 17 may transport the medium 19 loaded on a tray. The tray on which the medium 19 is loaded may be fixed to the device or may be detachable. The medium transport device 17 may be provided in a scanner having a reading unit that reads an image on the medium 19 .

[0067] The recording device 11 is not limited to an inkjet printer, but may be a laser printer, a thermal printer, a dot matrix printer, a digital printing machine, or the like. The recording device 11 may be a liquid ejection device that performs recording by ejecting or discharging a liquid other than ink. The state of the liquid ejected from the liquid ejection device as minute droplets includes granular, teardrop, and thread-like tails. The liquid here may be any material that can be ejected from the liquid ejection device. For example, the liquid may be any state in which the substance is in a liquid phase, and includes fluids such as high or low viscosity liquids, sols, gel water, other inorganic solvents, organic solvents, solutions, liquid resins, liquid metals, and metal melts. The liquid includes not only liquids as one state of matter, but also particles of functional materials made of solids such as pigments and metal particles dissolved, dispersed, or mixed in a solvent. Representative examples of liquids include inks and liquid crystals as described in the above embodiment. Here, the ink includes various liquid compositions such as general water-based inks and oil-based inks, as well as gel inks and hot melt inks. Specific examples of the liquid ejection device include a device that ejects a liquid containing materials such as electrode materials and color materials in a dispersed or dissolved form, which are used in the manufacture of liquid crystal displays, electroluminescence displays, surface-emitting displays, and color filters. The liquid ejection device may be a device that ejects biological organic matter used in the manufacture of biochips, a device that ejects liquid as a sample used as a precision pipette, a textile printing device, a microdispenser, or the like. The liquid ejection device may be a device that ejects lubricating oil at a pinpoint onto precision machinery such as a watch or camera, or a device that ejects transparent resin liquid such as ultraviolet curing resin onto a substrate to form a micro hemispherical lens, optical lens, or the like used in optical communication elements. The liquid ejection device may be a device that ejects an etching liquid such as an acid or alkali to etch a substrate or the like.

[0068] [Definition] The term "at least one" as used herein means "one or more" of the desired options. As an example, the term "at least one" as used herein means "only one option" or "both of two options" if the number of options is two. As another example, the term "at least one" as used herein means "only one option" or "any combination of two or more options" if the number of options is three or more.

[0069] [Note] The technical ideas and effects obtained from the above-described embodiment and modified examples will be described below.

[0070] (A) A media transport device comprises a separation section that separates and transports multiple media, and at least one first guide member that guides the media to the separation section, the separation section has a transport roller and a separation roller that can nip the media in a nip range, the transport roller contacts a first side of the media and transports the media in a transport direction, and the separation roller contacts a second side of the media opposite the first side and is switchable between a separation state in which the multiple media are separated and a transport state in which the separated media are transported, and a tip of the first guide member that guides the media is located in a position that does not overlap the separation section when viewed from the transport direction, and overlaps with the nip range when viewed from the axial direction of the separation roller.

[0071] According to this configuration, the leading end of the first guide member that guides the medium is located at a position that does not overlap with the separation section when viewed from the transport direction, but overlaps with the nip range when viewed from the axial direction. Therefore, the medium guided by the first guide member can reach the nip range with its leading end still guided by the first guide member. Therefore, it becomes easier to feed the medium into the nip range, and the transport accuracy of the medium can be improved.

[0072] In the medium transport device described in (B)(A), the first guide member may be displaceable between a first position in which the medium is not guided and a second position in which the medium is guided.

[0073] According to this configuration, the first guide member is displaceable. For example, by displacing the first guide member depending on the weight of the medium to be guided, it is possible to easily guide the medium into the nip range even when the medium is of a different type.

[0074] In the medium transport device described in (C) and (B), the first guide member may be flexible. For example, in the case of a first guide member having rigidity, a spring or the like is required to displace the first guide member. In this respect, with this configuration, the first guide member has flexibility and can be displaced between the first position and the second position by bending. Therefore, the configuration can be simplified.

[0075] (D) In ​​the medium transport device described in (A) to (C), the first guide member may contact the second surface of the medium. With this configuration, the first guide member and the separation roller come into contact with the second surface, which reduces the risk of the leading edge of the medium hitting the separation roller compared to when the first guide member comes into contact with the first surface.

[0076] (E) The medium transport device described in (A) to (D) may include a plurality of the first guide members, and the plurality of first guide members may be provided on both sides of the separation section in the axial direction. According to this configuration, the multiple first guide members are provided on both sides of the separation portion in the axial direction, which makes it easier to guide the medium into the nip range compared to a case in which the first guide members are provided on one side.

[0077] (F) The medium transport device described in (A) to (E) may include a drive source that rotates the separation roller in a reverse rotation direction, and a torque limiter that switches the transmission of drive force to the separation roller.

[0078] The method in which the drive source rotates the separation roller is also called the active retard method. In the case of the active retard method, for example, if the separation roller wears and the friction coefficient decreases, the separation roller may slip against the transport roller and rotate in the reverse direction. If the medium hits the separation roller rotating in the reverse direction, the medium cannot reach the nip range and transport failure occurs. In this regard, with this configuration, the first guide member guides the medium to the nip range, so the medium can be sent into the nip range even when the separation roller is rotating in the reverse direction, and the life of the separation roller can be extended.

[0079] The media transport device described in (G) and (F) may include a feed roller that contacts the first surface of the medium placed thereon to transport the medium, and a second guide member that contacts the first surface of the medium to guide the medium, wherein the feed roller is provided upstream of the separation section in the transport direction, and the second guide member is provided between the feed roller and the transport roller in the transport direction.

[0080] The medium receives a force from the feed roller in the transport direction, and also receives a force from the separation roller in the opposite direction to the transport direction. Therefore, the medium may be deformed between the feed roller and the separation section. In this regard, with this configuration, the second guide member contacts the first surface of the medium between the feed roller and the transport roller. In other words, the second guide member suppresses deformation of the medium, making it easier to feed the medium into the nip range.

[0081] In the media transport device described in (H) and (G), the second guide member may intersect with an imaginary perpendicular line perpendicular to the midpoint of a first imaginary line segment connecting the rotational center point of the feed roller and the rotational center point of the transport roller.

[0082] The medium is likely to deform significantly at the position where it intersects with the imaginary perpendicular line. In this regard, with this configuration, the second guide member intersects with the imaginary perpendicular line, and therefore can efficiently hold down the portion of the medium that is likely to deform.

[0083] In the medium transport device described in (I), (G) or (H), the second guide member may be provided at a position overlapping the separation section when viewed from the transport direction. According to this configuration, the second guide member is provided at a position overlapping with the separation section when viewed from the transport direction, so that even if the medium is small in width, for example, the second guide member can suppress deformation of the medium.

[0084] In the medium transport device described in (J)(G) to (I), the second guide member may be provided between a first virtual line segment connecting the rotational center point of the feed roller and the rotational center point of the transport roller, and a second virtual line segment connecting the contact point where the feed roller contacts the medium and the nip range.

[0085] According to this configuration, the second guide member is provided between the first virtual line segment and the second virtual line segment. That is, the second guide member is provided at a position closer to the medium being transported than the first virtual line segment, so deformation of the medium can be efficiently suppressed.

[0086] (K) A recording device includes the medium transport device described in (A) to (J) and a recording section that records on the medium. According to this configuration, it is possible to achieve the same effects as the above-mentioned medium transport device.

[0087] The recording device described in (L) and (K) may further include a cassette that can be inserted into the device and removed from the device, and the medium transport device may transport the medium placed in the inserted cassette.

[0088] According to this configuration, the medium is placed in the cassette. The cassette can be inserted into and removed from the device, so that the medium can be easily set in the cassette. [Explanation of symbols]

[0089] Reference Signs List 11...recording device, 12...casing, 13...stacker, 14...recording unit, 15...control unit, 16...cassette, 17...medium conveying device, 19...medium, 19a...first surface, 19b...second surface, 19f...first medium, 19s...second medium, 21...nozzle surface, 22...nozzle, 24...hopper, 26...feeding mechanism, 28...roller pair, 29...conveyor belt, 30...pulley, 32...conveyor path, 33...reversal path, 34...flap, 36...conveyor surface, 38 ...movement mechanism, 39...feed roller, 40...separation section, 41...conveying roller, 42...separation roller, 43...first guide member, 43a...base end, 43b...tip, 44...second guide member, 45...driving source, 46...torque limiter, 48...rotation shaft, CP...contact point, Da...axial direction, Dc...conveying direction, L1...first virtual line segment, L2...second virtual line segment, L3...virtual perpendicular line, MP...midpoint, NR...nip range, R1...forward rotation direction, R2...reverse rotation direction.

Claims

1. A separation unit that separates and transports a plurality of media; At least one first guide member that guides the medium to the separation section; Equipped with the separation unit includes a transport roller and a separation roller capable of nipping the medium in a nip range; the transport roller contacts a first surface of the medium and transports the medium in a transport direction; the separation roller is in contact with a second surface of the medium opposite to the first surface, and is switchable between a separation state in which the plurality of media are separated and a transport state in which the separated media are transported; A media conveying device characterized in that the tip of the first guide member that guides the media is located in a position that does not overlap with the separation section when viewed from the conveying direction, and in a position that overlaps with the nip range when viewed from the axial direction of the separation roller.

2. 2 . The medium transport device according to claim 1 , wherein the first guide member is displaceable between a first position in which the first guide member is positioned when the medium is not being guided and a second position in which the first guide member is positioned when the medium is being guided.

3. The medium transport device according to claim 2 , wherein the first guide member is flexible.

4. The medium transport device of claim 1 , wherein the first guide member contacts the second surface of the medium.

5. A plurality of the first guide members are provided, The medium transport device according to claim 1 , wherein the first guide members are provided on both sides of the separation portion in the axial direction.

6. A drive source that rotates the separation roller in a reverse rotation direction; a torque limiter that switches the transmission of a driving force to the separation roller; The medium transport device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

7. a feed roller that contacts the first surface of the medium placed on the medium to transport the medium; a second guide member that contacts the first surface of the medium to guide the medium; Equipped with the feed roller is provided upstream of the separation unit in the transport direction, The medium transport device according to claim 6 , wherein the second guide member is provided between the feed roller and the transport roller in the transport direction.

8. 8. The medium transport device according to claim 7, wherein the second guide member intersects with a virtual perpendicular line perpendicular to a midpoint of a first virtual line segment connecting a rotation center point of the feed roller and a rotation center point of the transport roller.

9. The medium transport device according to claim 7 , wherein the second guide member is provided at a position overlapping with the separation portion when viewed in the transport direction.

10. The medium transport device according to claim 7, characterized in that the second guide member is arranged between a first virtual line segment connecting the rotational center point of the feed roller and the rotational center point of the transport roller, and a second virtual line segment connecting the contact point where the feed roller contacts the medium and the nip range.

11. A medium conveying device according to any one of claims 1 to 10; a recording unit for recording on the medium; A recording device comprising:

12. A cassette that can be inserted into and removed from the device, 12. The recording apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the medium transport device transports the medium placed in the inserted cassette.

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